And I would give all this and heaven too

[redlightgreenlight]

Characters: Valdis and specific starters with some open
Date: April
Location: Around Aifaran
Situation: Various
Warnings/Rating: in headers


And the heart is hard to translate
It has a language of its own
It talks in tongues and quiet sighs
And prayers and proclamations
In the grand deeds of great men and the smallest of gestures
And short shallow gasps

But with all my education I can't seem to command it
And the words are all escaping, and coming back all damaged
And I would put them back in poetry if I only knew how
I can't seem to understand it

And I would give all this and heaven too
I would give it all if only for a moment
That I could just understand the meaning of the word you see
'Cause I've been scrawling it forever but it never makes sense to me at all

Comments

[redlightgreenlight]

Zohvin seemed beyond competent, clearly understanding form, function, and how to keep his students learning. Gene had done well hiring him. Valdis didn't smile when Zohvin stepped over, her features carefully neutral.

"It was very informative," she replied, "You know what you are doing, you keep command well, there's clear respect between you and your students."

She could only hope that hers would be as respectful, but if not, she wasn't afraid to put them in their place, with words or by sparring. There was always one or two that thought too much of themselves.

"You clearly have formal training."

[zohvin]

"That's quite high praise," Zohvin tells her. He might not be the type to smile, but he feels rather pleased anyway, allowing himself a moment of mental preening before

"You also have a good eye for this sort of thing. I belonged to my people's military before I was 'loaned' to our allies, a power named the Sith Empire. That means I've lived with near-daily training ever since I was a young teenager."

For the large part it's a lie, but it's been his cover story for working within the Empire ever since he started, and he's used to telling it by now.

[redlightgreenlight]

The preening did not go unnoticed, but Valdis didn't comment. The fact that she didn't consider Zohvin a threat didn't mean she was willing to reveal her empathic senses to him. Even the Sentry kept knowledge of her ability under wraps.

"I've had several years to perfect my eye," she commented, pondering what he had told her. There was a slight hitch in his essence, so minuscule that she almost missed it. That small prick made her briefly wonder about his history. It didn't matter, however, and it was so slight that it could mean anything.

"I've been training for as long as I can remember, so I know how to spot a warrior."

Which was admittedly a very, very long time.

[zohvin]

"Then we have more in common than I thought." There was the non-human aspect too, of course, though this is the first time that Zohvin can say he's ever ran into another alien that mimicked a human so perfectly. In his part of the galaxy, the chiss themselves were one of the few near-human races to exist in the first place.

So what did that make Valdis, exactly? Aifaran was full of unknowns, and he couldn't say he was very fond of that.

"I suppose I'm just more used to spending time around soldiers and prickly Sith at this point. Coming here, to a place without an active war, has practically been a vacation." That said, he nods his head over towards where Valdis' sword rests against the wall. "So, are you teaching weapon skills during your classes or something more basic?"

[redlightgreenlight]

The inhuman nature was little known among the citizens of Aifaran, except for the Dreamfolk, several of them knew she was a shapeshifter, though the exact nature of what she became was closely guarded. Zohvin's trustworthiness was undecided, besides, he didn't need to know.

"There is always a war," she replied, "Even if no one can see it."

Humans on her world were willfully ignorant, or placed their trust in books written by men.

She glanced over at her sword, the red gem in the hilt, glowing dully, "Revelations isn't exactly a normal sword. I rarely use the blade these days, but I must carry it anyway."

Valdis' gaze returned to him, "Staff. Non-lethal techniques of course."

[zohvin]

That was a curious statement. Zohvin commented with quirked brows, "I'm sure that's true, but at least the small-scale conflicts aren't as likely to turn the entire galaxy upside-down." The Jedi and the Sith would probably always be fighting, and the Mandalorians would be causing trouble somewhere, too. But at least there were periods of peace, as uneasy as it had been while he was growing up.

The reference in the name of the sword goes right over his head, but Zohvin does note how she said she must carry it. There could be all sorts of reasons for that, of course, but it did look like something important, if it wasn't outright some kind of heirloom.

"So you know the staff as well? Perhaps I ought to stay and watch your technique. It's not often that I get to see fighting styles from so many distant places." That was definitely one of the perks of working at the dojo, particularly with the amount of Dreamfolk that used the place.

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis supposed she couldn't expect others to believe in a war that no one could see, no matter how much it affected everyday life. But then again, she didn't know anything but war, the constant battle of wills between herself and the monster who claimed possession. Even without that, the internal battles that every individual fought. Peace did not truly exist, no matter how much anyone wanted it. But here in Konryu, in Aifaran, she supposed it was more peaceful than her world in some ways. Her attention reverted to Zohvin a moment too long afterhe asked about the staff.

"I know many kinds of weapons," she replied with a smile, hoping to distract him from her long silence, "The staff is versatile, more easily accessed, and less likely to cause severe injury in a training situation. Wooden swords are useful for that too, but a blade is not so easily accessed on the streets if one needs protection quickly."

[zohvin]

Zohvin listens attentively, sipping from his cup of water and nodding at her points. "I can't say it's quite so accessible in my part of the galaxy. Easier hidden if you have the one that retracts, perhaps, but I've found it to be less popular than vibroswords and blasters." Blasters themselves were used everywhere, of course - a powerful ranged weapon always had an advantage if your opponent wasn't very skilled.

"You're certainly right about the rest, though. I know how to handle some other weapons, but it's hard to say no to using one that makes it far easier to pull your blows to be non-lethal."

[redlightgreenlight]

There were many other weapons, though she couldn't admit to knowing much about blasters. Even Ebony and Ivory had used bullets, though those had been made of energy, so perhaps it was similar.

"I'm afraid I have never ever used a vibrosword," she replied, "Are they much like normal blades?"

She stepped away to pick up a staff leaning next to her sword, the gem glowing more brightly until she stepped away again.

"Non-lethal is what should be taught," she replied, "I generally don't condone murder."

[zohvin]

"I can't say I condone it, either," Zohvin comments with a wry tone, "But it's important to know how to defend yourself."

He's certainly killed people before, even a few people that counted among his allies, but only ever in a combat situation. After all, he wasn't an assassin.

"Vibroswords are quite similar in shape to the kind of sword you carry, but with an ultrasonic generator in the handle. It makes the tip of the blade vibrate at such a speed that it can tear through armor and durasteel with little trouble. ... Of course, those generators can explode if you subject the blade to a strong enough electrical current, but most who carry vibroswords know to avoid that kind of danger."

[redlightgreenlight]

"Interesting," Valdis smiled, deciding that they agreed about lethality even if it was in slightly different ways, "I'd like to pit my sword against that."

Though if these vibroswords were as dangerous as Zohvin described, then pitting her angelic blade against them may not be wise. Revelations was supposed to be indestructible, but who knew if what held true on her world held true here.

"Have you used one? They sound fascinating."